The Impact of Climate Change on Forest Development: A Sustainable Approach to Management Models Applied to Mediterranean-Type Climate Regions

Forest ecosystems are divided into three major groups: boreal, temperate, and tropical. These can be subdivided according to the particularities of each type due to its relative location (littoral, mountain, etc.), climatic conditions, or even geological substrate. Climate change affects each type of forest ecosystem differently. However, it seems to affect temperate forests in Mediterranean-type climate regions more intensely. These regions are located over several continents, with major impacts of increased temperature during summer and decreased precipitation during winter. This situation affects Mediterranean forest ecosystems by increasing the risk of fires, which arise more frequently and are more severe. In addition, the emergence of pests and the spread of invasive species are well-known problems affecting these ecosystems. All of these conditions contribute to losses of productivity and biodiversity. To avoid the destruction of forest resources, and since Mediterranean-type climate regions are considered climate change hot spots with increased vulnerability to disturbances, the implementation of adaptive forest management models could contribute to increasing the resilience of such forests, which could also contribute to mitigating climate change.

Status of Charcoal Canker on Oak Trees at a Site of Community Importance: Case Study of the Relict Castelfidardo Forest (SIC Area IT520008, Castelfidardo, AN, Italy)

Oaks are dominant and key tree species in Mediterranean forest ecosystems. However, in recent decades, oak forests have been heavily impacted by oak decline, a worldwide phenomenon exacerbated by climate change. The charcoal disease agent Biscogniauxia mediterranea is involved in the decline of Mediterranean oak formations in a variety of contexts. Here, we investigated the impact and role of B. mediterranea in the decline of oaks in Castelfidardo Forest, a relict wood of the late Holocene and a Site of Community Importance. We established five plots within which we recorded tree positions, any symptoms and signs of decline, association of B. mediterranea to declining trees, and deadwood and associated mycota. Of 471 oaks inspected, 7.0% showed brownish exudates on the stems, 46.9% showed epicormic shoots along the main trunk, and 24.4% showed black carbonaceous stromata on diseased branches and trunks. The decline was most severe for Quercus cerris, which comprised plots #4 and #5, at 50.0% (81/162 trees) and 29.0% (33/114), respectively; then for Quercus robur for plot #3, at 40.0% (38/95); and finally for Quercus pubescens for plots #1 and #2, at 13.7% (7/51) and 12.3% (6/49), respectively. Bark tissue was collected from trees with charcoal cankers via microscopy examination and identified by mycological and molecular methods. This investigation revealed a close association between oaks with pronounced reduction of vitality and incidence of B. mediterranea. Deadwood was equally distributed among the five plots, and was heavily colonized by Basidiomycota. The high incidence of the charcoal canker pathogen B. mediterranea appeared to be related to environmental stresses. However, the absence of silvicultural management, high competition among physiologically mature trees, and the geographic isolation of this residual forest may have predisposed oaks to decline.

Impact of Charcoal Canker on Oak Trees at a Site of Community Importance: Case Study of the Relict Castelfidardo Forest (SIC Area IT520008, Castelfidardo, AN, Italy)

Oaks are a dominant and key tree species in Mediterranean forest ecosystems. However, in recent decades, oak forests have been heavily impacted by oak decline, a worldwide phenomenon exacerbated by climate change. The charcoal disease agent Biscogniauxia mediterranea is involved in the decline of Mediterranean oak formations in a variety of contexts. Here, we investigated the impact and role of B. mediterranea in decline of oaks in Castelfidardo Forest, a relict wood of the late Holocene and a Site of Community Importance. We established five plots within which we recorded the tree positions, any symptoms and signs of decline, association of B. mediterranea to declining trees, and the deadwood and associated mycota. Of 471 oaks inspected, 7.0% showed brownish exudates on the stems, 46.9% showed epicormic shoots along the main trunk, and 24.4% showed black carbonaceous stromata on diseased branches and trunks. The decline was most severe for Quercus cerris, which comprised plots #4 and #5, at 50.0% (81/162 trees) and 29.0% (33/114), respectively; then for Quercus robur for plot #3, at 40.0% (38/95); and finally for Quercus pubescens for plots #1 and #2, at 13.7% (7/51) and 12.3% (6/49), respectively. Bark tissue was collected from trees with charcoal cankers, with microscopy examination and identification by mycological and molecular methods. This investigation revealed close association between oaks with pronounced reduction of vitality and incidence of B. mediterranea. The deadwood was equally distributed among the five plots, and was heavily colonized by Basidiomycota. The high incidence of this oak-weakening pathogen B. mediterranea appears to be related to stress conditions (e.g., water scarcity, prolonged drought). However, absence of silvicultural management, high competition among physiologically mature trees, and the geographic isolation of this residual forest might have predisposed these oaks to decline.

Visibility analysis of fire lookout towers protecting the Mediterranean forest ecosystems in Turkey

Brza detekcija požara i precizna identifikacija njegovog mjesta od presudne su važnosti za uspjeh u borbi protiv šumskih požara. Vatrogasni tornjevi, odnosno motrionice, te njihovo pravilno korištenje, predstavljaju prvi korak u uspješnom otkrivanju šumskih požara u Turskoj. Cilj ove studije bio je izvršiti analizu vidljivosti vatrogasnih tornjeva postavljenih u planinskom mediteranskom šumskom dijelu Turske te procijeniti njihovu učinkovitost. Za zaštitu šumskog okoliša potrebno je utvrditi funkcionalnost i kapacitet ovih tornjeva. Područja koja su s tornjeva vidljiva i nevidljiva identificirana su pomoću geografskog informacijskog sustava i digitalnih podataka o nadmorskim visinama visoke rezolucije. U analizi vidljivosti, skeniranje je izvedeno rotacijom za 360 stupnjeva u radijusu od 18 kilometara od mjesta na kojem se nalazi vatrogasni toranj. Prometnice u ovoj regiji jedan su od elemenata koji se mogu koristiti u motrenju požara. Ljudi koji putuju ovim prometnicama mogu prijaviti šumske požare pomoću mobitela. U tom smislu, učinkovitost/djelotvornost tornjeva povezana je sa šumskim cestovnim prometom. Stoga je izvršena i analiza vidljivosti prometnica radi provjere mogućnosti motrenja s cesta. Iako su na ovom području, u kojemu su crnogorične vrste drveća poput brucijskog i crnog bora vrlo osjetljive na vatru postavljena 37 promatračka tornja, 40% šuma nalaze se u području koje nije vidljivo, a 15% tih šuma izložene su visokom riziku od požara. Preko 100 tisuća hektara područja osjetljivog na požare u ovoj regiji nije bilo moguće kotrolirati s tornjeva. Mreža tornjeva pokrivala je 56 % ukupnog područja i 59 % šumskog područja. Ljudi koji su koristili ceste doprinijeli su sustavu za detekciju požara s 11 % pa je na taj način, zajedno s tornjevima, 70 % šumskog područja u ovoj regiji bilo vidljivo. S druge strane, 59 % od 523 tisuća hektara šumskog zemljišta koji nisu bili vidljivi s cesta bili su uočljivi s tornjeva. Naglašeno je da je participativno ponašanje ljudi koji žive u šumama i koriste šumske prometnice važan dio sustava motrenja požara pri zaštiti okoliša.